MARGAO: The South Goa Advocates Association (SGAA) has demanded transparency and accountability in the mutation process. A delegation from the SGAA, led by President Adv Prasad Naik and comprising Managing Committee Members Adv Roheet Shirodkar, Adv Maria D’Costa, Adv Jesinta Miranda, Adv Kashinath Dessai, and Adv Nikhil Katkar, met with South Goa Collector Ashwin Chandru to discuss the issues faced by the public in completing the mutation process.
During the meeting, the SGAA demanded strict implementation of the Goa Right of Citizens to Time-Bound Delivery of Public Services (GRCTBDS) Act, 2013. Adv Prasad Naik alleged that private agents operate within the Collector’s Office, expediting mutations on a daily basis. He claimed that citizens believe mutations can be completed within a week or even 24 hours if they hire these agents and pay their hefty service fees.
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Adv Naik complained that the general public faces significant delays and must visit the Mamlatdar’s Office multiple times to complete their mutation work. This, he said, forces them to approach agents/touts to expedite the process. He also brought to the Collector’s notice instances where procedures were bypassed, and mutations were done in survey records without the predecessor’s name in Survey Form I and XIV. Names were directly inserted without linking to existing names in the Survey Form, raising serious doubts about the integrity of the concerned officer and the transparency of the mutation procedure.
The SGAA submitted a memorandum to the Collector, demanding immediate action against agents operating within the Mamlatdar Building who influence the mutation process and collect huge amounts from the public. They also demanded strict implementation of the GRCTBDS Act and recommended an online mutation tracking system to track files online.
